Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt has been suspended 20 games for violating the NHL’s performance-enhancing drug policy, the league announced Sunday.

After being selected in the expansion draft last June by the Golden Knights from the Washington Capitals, Schmidt quickly became Vegas’ top defenseman during its run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Schmidt said issuing a statement on this was "surreal" and said he has "only used supplements provided by my NHL team and I have always been extremely careful about what I put in my body.

"It was utterly shocking to be informed that I tested positive for a microscopic amount of a tainted substance. Not only did I not intentionally take a banned substance, I could not have received any performance enhancement benefit from the trace amount that inadvertently got into my system at a level that was far too small to have any effect. This low amount was consistent with environmental contamination that I could not possibly have prevented."

Schmidt said he was tested twice last season, among "numerous" other times, and that he has never tested positive.

He is able to participate in training camp but not play in the preseason. Schmidt is eligible to return Nov. 18 at the Edmonton Oilers.

The Golden Knights also said in a statement they "strongly disagreed with the suspension."

“We firmly believe that the presence of a trace of the banned substance was accidental and unintentional," the Golden Knights said. "Based on our conversations with Nate, analysis from independent medical experts and sworn testimony from the parties involved, we believe it is clear Nate was not able to reasonably ascertain how the substance entered his body.”

Schmidt recorded 36 points and led the team with 22:14 of ice time in the regular season. He had seven points with an average of 24:25 of ice time, also a team-high, in the playoffs.

Brooks Orpik, who was traded by the Capitals to Avalanche after the Stanley Cup win and then bought out, will return to Washington on a one-year, $1 million deal. He could earn another $500,000 in performance bonuses. Bill Sikes, AP

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